General Assembly calls for end of United States embargo against Cuba

The 193-member General Assembly on Tuesday urged the United States to lift the embargo it imposed against Cuba in 1962.

The resolution was adopted by 188 votes in favour to three against: the United States, Israel and Palau.

The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia abstained.

The Foreign Minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, who introduced the General Assembly resolution, said the blockade is one of the main causes of the economic problems of his country.

"As was stated by the Secretary-General's report, the economic damages accumulated for more than 50 years until 2011 amount to one trillion, six billion dollars, according to a rigorous and conservative calculation based on the devaluation of the dollar vis-à-vis the price of gold. Any sensible person could figure out the living standards and development levels that we could have achieved if we had had those resources available." (Duration: 32")

The Foreign Minister of Cuba said that the United States embargo violates international law and is contrary to the purposes and the principles of the United Nations Charter.